Marquire
Well-Known Member
This should be titled:-
40 year old eventing virgin and 13 year old water-phobic horse go to Aswanley
History- bought Mr S in 2005 for OH to hack around but ended up stealing him back the following year. I'd always toyed with the idea of having a go eventing but soon discovered Mr S did not like getting his feet wet at all and if it was a 'strange' water he'd never seen before the only way to get him in was to literally get off and lead him in. So we have spent the last 3 years concentrating on stressage where he's had a lot of success and have done the odd little SJ thing.
Fast forward to 2009
My lovely OH treated me to a 5 day intensive XC course in ireland for my 40th in April which was superb and ended up with me jumping around some of their one star jumps.
I came back with the bug so this summer Mr S and I have done a lot more SJing plus some XC training. Surprisingly Mr S's water phobia is much improved and in training he has been really good about going in first time allbeit very cautiously. Then after a lot of peer pressure (thanks Riaseed007!) I entered Aswanley, maybe not the most sensible choice as it has three waters!!!!
The week leading up to the event I had a lot of disturbed night's sleep and was seriously pooping my pants big time. On the morning of the event I was actually the calmest I'd been all week and thankfully Mr S was his normal laid back self when we rolled up at Aswanley. Dressage was BE91 which is uber-simple and as Mr S has been out doing Elementary for the last 12 months I was seriously worried about how I was gonna keep his attention. He did a nice test, apart from trying to piss off with me in the canter on the long side and popping in some medium trot across the diagonal unasked and I was pleased to end up with 34.5 (best was 33).
We had over 3 hours until the SJing- loads of time for me to work myself up into a frenzy of nerves. I'd consumed half a tub of rescue remedy pastilles by the time I had to warm up (not to be advised) but still thought I might faint/throw up/have a nervy spaz. He warmed up super although I was getting him in a bit deep but he was jumping his socks off. In we went, great over 1 and 2 but little pooper took a dislike to number 3 as stopped. Big smacks on his bum and we were off again to jump the rest clear but finished on 4 for the stop and 7 time.
Quick change of clothes and off to the XC warm up. I was quite angry about the SJ stop so I was super determined when we left the start box that we would get around. He was super over 1-5, then number 6 the first water he backed off so I gave him a dose of Mrs Doyle (GO ON GO ON GO ON) and we were through, 7-11 he was super if a little bold at the drop for my liking, and then the next big ask 12 a log with drop 2 strides to 13abc, water, water, palisade. A lot more Mrs Doyling coupled with pony club kicking and we were through (at a slow elevated trot) and clear. 14-17 all great and onto 18 log, stride into another water under a tree so dark and spooky. Lots more Mrs Doyle on teh approach and we were through and onto the last which he simply flew. Who would have believed it A CLEAR ROUND XC!!!!! We still ended up on a cricket score because my idea of going fast is not the same as the normal person so we had 35 time penalties
But to get around was reward enough. Below is a picture over the last fence.
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40 year old eventing virgin and 13 year old water-phobic horse go to Aswanley
History- bought Mr S in 2005 for OH to hack around but ended up stealing him back the following year. I'd always toyed with the idea of having a go eventing but soon discovered Mr S did not like getting his feet wet at all and if it was a 'strange' water he'd never seen before the only way to get him in was to literally get off and lead him in. So we have spent the last 3 years concentrating on stressage where he's had a lot of success and have done the odd little SJ thing.
Fast forward to 2009
My lovely OH treated me to a 5 day intensive XC course in ireland for my 40th in April which was superb and ended up with me jumping around some of their one star jumps.
The week leading up to the event I had a lot of disturbed night's sleep and was seriously pooping my pants big time. On the morning of the event I was actually the calmest I'd been all week and thankfully Mr S was his normal laid back self when we rolled up at Aswanley. Dressage was BE91 which is uber-simple and as Mr S has been out doing Elementary for the last 12 months I was seriously worried about how I was gonna keep his attention. He did a nice test, apart from trying to piss off with me in the canter on the long side and popping in some medium trot across the diagonal unasked and I was pleased to end up with 34.5 (best was 33).
We had over 3 hours until the SJing- loads of time for me to work myself up into a frenzy of nerves. I'd consumed half a tub of rescue remedy pastilles by the time I had to warm up (not to be advised) but still thought I might faint/throw up/have a nervy spaz. He warmed up super although I was getting him in a bit deep but he was jumping his socks off. In we went, great over 1 and 2 but little pooper took a dislike to number 3 as stopped. Big smacks on his bum and we were off again to jump the rest clear but finished on 4 for the stop and 7 time.
Quick change of clothes and off to the XC warm up. I was quite angry about the SJ stop so I was super determined when we left the start box that we would get around. He was super over 1-5, then number 6 the first water he backed off so I gave him a dose of Mrs Doyle (GO ON GO ON GO ON) and we were through, 7-11 he was super if a little bold at the drop for my liking, and then the next big ask 12 a log with drop 2 strides to 13abc, water, water, palisade. A lot more Mrs Doyling coupled with pony club kicking and we were through (at a slow elevated trot) and clear. 14-17 all great and onto 18 log, stride into another water under a tree so dark and spooky. Lots more Mrs Doyle on teh approach and we were through and onto the last which he simply flew. Who would have believed it A CLEAR ROUND XC!!!!! We still ended up on a cricket score because my idea of going fast is not the same as the normal person so we had 35 time penalties
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